On Being Good Neighbors

Added a new section over on the sidebar called “Neighbors”. Links to militia groups that are more or less local to our region, more or less defined by that Appalachian Redoubt map. Should be adding more links soon. Meetings between a few members of all these groups should benefit everybody, hopefully. Time to overcome the fact that we are all isolated neighbors, because of fears of trust and distance. Time to get to know the neighbors.

It’s hard work forming a good group, and keeping a good group, as a Constitutional Unorganized Civilian Militia. There are very few guidelines on how to do much of anything, without resorting to simply emulating the guys that write the Field Manuals. There are many reasons for forming a unit and a lot of variation in defining a unit’s objectives. It is too late for some Central Command and Control entity to declare that we must all be structured and trained identically according to some standard, so we can be managed and coordinated during those times when we must work together. We are, by definition, Unorganized Militia. We have members with zero military background. We have members that had never camped out, or had any gear or ever owned a handgun. We are definitely not the Spartans. Our units might not actually have much in common beyond boiling water and knot tying. But we’re here, and we’re training, and we’re finding our way and our reason for being. Your unit probably ain’t that different. Beyond this, there needs to be a way for all of us various groups to interact under a range of conditions when the need arises. How we can work together is that type of a problem that can be resolved once we start talking to each other and then working towards some solution we can all agree on. Today is a good time to start.